There was lots of exotic bikes still in Japan into the mid-90s (and possibly later). I seem to recall Smets' Husabergs being pretty special, although the hand built nature of the early Bergs kind of stopped that being so obvious.
The top riders' "production" bikes today are still going to be miles ahead of what's in the local dealer's showroom. The freedoms of the production rule, the perfection of the set up for the individual rider, and the fact that everything is kept super fresh, make the modern "factory" bikes something special.
I think that there's also a better understanding that a fast bike is one that the rider can trust, as much as big HP figures or a billet doo-hickey.
That said... I'm sure I'm not alone in wondering what a proper, no holds barred modern works bike would look like.
